direction

2 Chronicles 24 – Success or Failure?

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Go to any bookstore, browse the business and leadership section, and you’ll find many books that supposedly contain the secrets of success. People want to know the steps, the formulas, and the ingredients that will make them successful.

In 2 Chronicles chapter 24, you find one man’s story of success and failure. Joash is the seven-year-old boy-king whom Jehoiada the priest had hidden as an infant to protect him from assassination. He becomes a very successful ruler by engaging in three specific behaviors.

  • First, he focused on what mattered most…the presence and glory of God.
  • Second, he persistently planned and worked toward what mattered most.
  • Third, he had people in his life who were dedicated to what mattered most.

The right focus, the right effort, and the right influences led to Joash’s success.

But when Joash changed his focus, his efforts, and his influences, he became a great failure. To the point that his life fell apart and his people turned on him. (1 Chron. 24:17-23)

Ask yourself these questions:

  • What is my focus?
  • How do I spend my efforts?
  • Who are the people influencing me?

Honestly answering these questions will quickly reveal why your life is going in the direction it’s going. Don’t make the mistake that Joash made. Keep your focus, efforts, and influences on what matters most. The presence and glory of God.

1 Chronicles 11 – How to Determine the Course of Your Life

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It’s interesting to me that two people can come from the same family, or have the same opportunities and advantages, and still turn out so differently. Two people can have the same starting point and the same paths before them, yet they wind up in two very different places.

Such is the case with Saul and David. In 1 Chronicles chapter 10, you read the very sad story of King Saul. He was picked from obscurity, placed in the position of king, and told by God that he would prosper if he was obedient. Yet Saul’s story ends with Saul’s sons being killed, Saul committing suicide, and his body being dismembered and mockingly put on display.

Then, in 1 chronicles chapter 11, you pick up the story of David. He’s another man who was picked from obscurity, placed in the position of king, and told by God that he would prosper if he was obedient. Unlike Saul, David prospers, seizes his opportunities, and reaches his potential.

What did David have that Saul didn’t? David had God’s sovereignty behind him (1 Chron. 11:2), but so did Saul. (1 Sam. 12:14) David had the people’s and soldiers’ loyalty (1 Chron. 11:1-3,10-15), but so did Saul. (1 Chron. 10:11-12)

So what was the difference between these two men?

The difference is that David had integrity. (1 Chron. 11:18-19) David’s integrity was demonstrated in his humility before God and others, as well as his service to God and others. This integrity, humility, and service endeared him to his men (1 Chron. 11:10-25) and his God. (Acts 13:22) This is what differentiated David from Saul. In the end, Saul did not have integrity, humility, or service.

Is your life characterized by integrity, humility, and service? Your answer to this question could very well determine the course of your life!

1 Kings 18 – What Will You Choose?

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There are stories that are timeless classics. They have action, intrigue, a good hero, a strong villain, a powerful conclusion, and a timeless message.

1 Kings chapter 18 has such a story. In this story, after years of moral and religious decline, God finally says “Enough!” and He calls for a showdown.

The prophet Elijah presents the challenge. Two offerings: one for the God of Israel and the other for Baal. Two representatives: Elijah versus four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal. One objective: the God who answers by setting the offering ablaze is the true God.

The prophets of Baal work feverishly. They shout, they dance, and they even cut themselves. And they do this all day long, but nothing happens.

Finally, Elijah quietly prepares his alter and his sacrifice. Then, he does something unexpected. He saturates everything with water so there is no human way for the offering to be set ablaze. Lastly, he prays a short and simple prayer to God, and God sends a fire that completely disintegrates everything!

That’s a great story!

But the purpose of the story is not that we’re supposed to be doing dramatic acts of faith like Elijah. The purpose is to call people (then and now) to a decision. “How long are you going to waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal is god, then follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21)

And the sad part of the story is that, when Elijah asked the question, the people didn’t respond. They didn’t choose. (1 Kings 18:21) It took something dramatic to get them to choose.

All Scripture and all life call us to this decision. To choose a path. To choose a god. To make a commitment. To follow something or someone.

What have you chosen? Whom will you choose?

1 Kings 14 – What a Waste!

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It happens. You open up your news feed or turn on the news, and you hear about someone with a lot of promise and with everything going for them who threw it all away on bad choices and wrong living. It’s not only sad, it’s mystifying. All you can do is shake your head and think, “What a waste!”

This is the feeling you get from 1 Kings chapter 14. Both Jeroboam and Rehoboam had been given great opportunities. God had given each of them a kingdom and a promise to meet their needs and desires if they would simply follow and obey Him. Yet, they took God’s goodness toward them as a sign they were invincible and they did whatever they wanted.

We can read 1 Kings chapter 14 and say, “What a waste,” but aren’t we prone to demonstrate the same type of behavior?

When things are going well, we tend to let down our guard and become less disciplined and vigilant. We do more of what we want to do and less of what we need to do, acting as if God’s blessings are going to just keep coming…even though our actions are less and less worthy of blessing.

We must remember that every blessing we experience is a gift from God. (James 1:17) We need to realize that we have been bought with the great price of Christ’s life. We should honor and obey God out of gratitude, rather than honor ourselves by doing whatever we want. (1 Cor. 6:20)

Don’t take for granted the blessings of God and your need to gratefully obey His directions. Don’t live your life in such a way that someone might someday look at your life and say, “What a waste!”

Deuteronomy 18 – All Roads Do Not Lead Home

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“All roads lead to God.” “I believe God in my own way.” “All religions are basically the same.” “Who’s to say this belief is right and that belief is wrong?” “The most important thing is to be spiritual. How you choose to do that doesn’t matter.”

These are common statements made about God, but ultimately they are rooted in pride and independence. We want to do things our way, and we would rather not be told what to do and how to do it. (2 Peter 2:1-2) So, we want a lot of leeway with God. We want to keep things with God very broad and general.

But God, (the One who created delicately balanced sub-atomic particles and intricate DNA strands) is about specifics. (Matt. 7:13-14) And He is specific about how we are to connect with Him and follow Him. You see this in Deuteronomy 18.

Now our independent nature wants to rise up and say, “How dare God be so controlling and egotistical that it can only be His way! But it’s not about control. It’s about truth! Truth is very specific. It’s not whatever you want it to be. (John 8:31-32) (John 14:15-17) (John 16:13)

To get to a destination, you must follow specific directions. You can no more get to a specific destination any way you choose, then you can use any old PIN number on your ATM card to get the cash you want.

All roads do not lead home. So what will it be? Pick any road you want and wind up driving yourself right out of where you want to be? (Deuteronomy. 18:12-14) Or pick a specific road that God has given and find your way home?

Numbers 20 – Swinging at Rocks

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If you’ve ever had trouble following directions, you can relate to Moses. There was a specific time in Moses’ life when failing to follow God’s directions cost him dearly.

In Numbers chapter 20, God tells Moses to gather everyone in front of a rock and speak to the rock, that it might provide water for the grumbling Israelites. But rather than speaking to the rock, Moses strikes the rock with his staff. Because of this, Moses was not permitted to enter into the Promised Land.

You may be thinking, “What’s so bad about striking the rock?” There’s two problems with it:

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